Confident Swimmers,

Confident Kids.

YMCA Swim Lessons helps ALL individuals learn an important life skill and support them in gaining the knowledge, ability, and stamina to become strong and confident swimmer.

WINTER I REGISTRATION

YMCA Member Registration:
December 16th, 2024

YMCA Community Registration:
December 23rd, 2024

The Winter I sessions will run:
January 6th - February 15th

Please contact krunkle@cookcountyymca.org with questions.

SESSIONS

Take a peek at our quick-look lesson schedule! 


YMCA Member: $62.00
Community: $105.00

Not Sure Where To Start?

Try our Swim Lesson Selector below! Answer some basic questions about your swimmer and we will help you find the right class to meet their needs.

You're ready for Parent/Child Swim Lessons!

The parent/child swim program introduces infants and toddlers to the joys of swimming for the first time under the care and love of their parents. As a parent, you will learn about the importance of supervision, water safety and how to encourage and guide your child to become more familiar with being in the water.
 

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You're ready for Preschool Stage 1: Water Acclimation

In stage 1, students develop comfort with underwater exploration and learn to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water. This stage lays the foundation that allows for a student’s future progress in swimming.

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You're ready for Stage 1: Water Acclimation

In stage 1, students develop comfort with underwater exploration and learn to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water. This stage lays the foundation that allows for a student’s future progress in swimming.

You're ready for Preschool Stage 2: Water Movement

In stage 2, students focus on body position and control, directional change and forward movement in the water while also continuing to practice how to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water.

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You're ready for Stage 2: Water Movement

In stage 2, students focus on body position and control, directional change and forward movement in the water while also continuing to practice how to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water.

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You're ready for Preschool Stage 3: Water Stamina

In stage 3, students learn how to swim to safety from a longer distance than in previous stages in the event of falling into a body of water. This stage also introduces rhythmic breathing and integrated arm and leg action.

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You're ready for Stage 3: Water Stamina

In stage 3, students learn how to swim to safety from a longer distance than in previous stages in the event of falling into a body of water. This stage also introduces rhythmic breathing and integrated arm and leg action.

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You're ready for Stage 4: Stroke Introduction

Students in stage 4 develop stroke technique in front crawl and back crawl, and they learn the breaststroke kick and butterfly kick. Water safety is reinforced through treading water and elementary backstroke.

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You're ready for Stage 5: Stroke Development

Students in stage 5 work on stroke technique and learn all major competitive strokes. The emphasis on water safety continues through treading water and sidestroke.

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You're ready for Stage 6: Stroke Mechanics

In stage 6, students refine stroke technique on all major competitive strokes, learn about competitive swimming, and discover how to incorporate swimming into a healthy lifestyle.

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Wow, what a swimmer!

Based on your answers, your swimmer has already mastered the skills taught in our most advanced group swim lessons class. Contact the Aquatics Director at your local Y to ask about additional swimming instruction opportunities that may be available to you.

You're ready for Adult Swim Lessons!

Our adult swim lessons provide a place for adults and teens ages 13 and older to learn how to swim in a friendly small-group setting. Students come from all walks of life—from young parents to high school students to retirees.

Wow, what a swimmer!

Based on your answers, your swimmer has already mastered the skills taught in our most advanced group swim lessons classes for your age group. Contact the Aquatics Director at your local Y to ask about additional swimming instruction opportunities that may be available to you.

Ages 6 Months - 3 Years

In swim starters children develop body awareness, independence, water safety skills and comfort in the water through fun games, activities and confidence-building experiences. Parents and children also learn essential water safety skills. Close supervision is the best way to prevent drowning. Parents learn how to supervise children in the water, how to prevent accidents, and how to plan for emergencies.

Ages 3 Years - 12 Years

In Swim Basics, students develop a high level of comfort in the water by practicing safe water habits, engaging in underwater exploration, and learning how to swim to safety and exit if they fall into a body of water. By the end of this series of stages students will build endurance to be able to swim 15 yards each of their front stroke and back stroke as well at use the ‘swim, float, swim’ technique to swim 25 yards (one length of the pool) independently. Swimmers will also master the ‘jump, push, turn, grab’ self-rescue skill. 

Ages 5 Years - 12 Years

In Swim Strokes, having mastered the fundamentals, students learn additional water safety skills and build stroke technique, developing skills that prevent chronic disease, increase social-emotional and cognitive well-being, and foster a lifetime of physical activity! Swimmers will learn and practice 6 key strokes; Front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke, butterfly, sidestroke and elementary backstroke. By the end of this series of stages students will have built the endurance to swim 150 yards using any combination of learned strokes.

Ages 13 Years - Adult

Teens & Adults develop swim skills, independence, comfort, and stroke skills. Participants will build technique and confidence to improve personal safety around water, as well as efficiency in the water, endurance and speed. 

Please contact Karen Runkle by email, krunkle@cookcountyymca.org, or by calling 218-387-3386 ext. 610 for more information about teen & adult lesson options.